powell



(No Model.) I -2 SheetS-Sheet 1. W. H. POWELL;

ELECTRIC SWITCH. No. 569,302. Patented Oct. 13, 1896.

(No Model.) H. POWELL 2 S heets-Sheet 2.

ELECTRIC SWITCH- Patented Oct. 13,1896.

:1: norms PETERS co mom LITHD WASHmrYFW n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM II. POIVELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERKINS ELECTRIC SlVITCII MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,302, dated October 13, 18.96.

Application filed June 29,1896. Serial No. 597,306. (No model.l

T at whom, it may concern: the base with the brushes, which are one ele- Be it known that I, ILLIAM II. POWELL, ment of each of the sets of stationary cona citizen of the United States, residing at tacts, and the block omitted. Fig. 3 is a de- IIartford,'in the county of Hartford and State tail plan of the block. Fig. 4 is a diagram 5 of Connecticut,haveinvented certain new and illustrating the locations of the posts when useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of the block is turned to the off position, as which the following is a specification. when all of the circuits are cut out. Fig. 5

The invention relates to those electric snapis a diagram illustrating the location of the switches which have abase with a plural numposts when the block is in the first position to ber of stationary contacts adapted to be conand the circuits are connected so as to give nected with the wires of several circuits and one degree of heat. Fig. 6 is a diagram illusa plural number of posts borne byapart suptrating the location of the posts when the ported by a rotary spindle in such manner block is in the second position and the cirthat the parts will be moved when the spincuits are connected to throw in anotherheater 1 5 dle is rotated to connect different sets of staor group of heaters and give an additional tionary contacts for cutting in and out difdegree of heat. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustratferent circuits or combinations of circuits. ing the location of the posts with the block The object of this invention is to provide a in the third position and so connecting the simple and cheap switch of this nature which circuits as to give a still greater degree of 20 by simply rotating the spindle will, as a sinheat. 111 this position the heaters or groups gle-pole switch, successively cause the variof heaters are connected in parallel. Fig. 8 ous connections to be made for cutting in or is a diagram illustrating the method of conout the circuits, and which can, if desired, be necting circuit-wires to the contacts when a so Wired as to be capable of use as a three-way four-way switch is desired.

25 or four-way switch. In the views, 1 indicates the base, which To this end the invention residesin a snapmay be made any desired size and shape of switch having a base with a plural number suitable insulating material, as wood orporceof sets of stationary contacts that are adapted lain. Supported by this base is a spindle 2, tobeconnectedwiththevarious circuit-wires, which may be provided with any common 30 one contact of each set being connected with form of handle. Upon the spindle is a spring one contact of the set next in advance, a ro- 3. One end of the spring is attached to the tary spindle supporting a block bearing conspindle and the other end is connected with ducting connecting-posts, and means wherea nut 4, that is supported by the spindle. by the block with the posts is given a sudden The base beneath the nut is provided with a 3 5 rotary movement when the spindle is turned, plate 5, that has its face cut so as to form as more particularly hereinafter described, ratchetteeth with indentations between and pointed out in the claims. them. The springpressing between the spin- The switch is applicable to all classes of dle and the nut tends to rotate the nut, as is circuits, such as light, heat, and power cirfully described in United States Letters Pat- 4o cuits, where there are various pieces of appaent No. 517,100, dated March 27, 1894. Held 0 ratus or different groups of apparatus to be by the nut and rotating with it is a block 6 cut in or out by the same switch; but this of insulating material. \Vhen the handle is switch is particularly designed and intended turned, the spring is made tense and the block for use in connection with heater-circuits such is thrown suddenly forward a given distance,

5 as are used in railway-cars. Therefore the as set forth in the above-mentioned Letters 5 invention in this application is illustrated and Patent, to which reference is made for a fuller described as arranged for car-heating circuits. description of this operation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, On the base of the switch are secured any Figure 1 is a plan of the switch with the handesired number of contacts. These contacts 50 dle and cover removed. Fig. 2 is a plan of are arranged in sets, and one of each of the I00 sets is formed as a flat plate 7, while the other of each of the sets is formed as a brush 8. In the switch shown there are four of the lower stationary contactplates 7, held close to the base, and all of these may be provided with binding-posts for the attachment of circuit-wires, and, of course, there are four brushes 8, which correspond with and project over these plates. If desired, the brushes may also be provided with binding-posts for the attachment of circuit-wires. Each of the plates 7 is connected with the brush 8 next in advance by a metallic wire or strip 9. These wires or strips may be placed upon the upper surface of the base or on the under side of the base and held by the screws which hold the plates and brushes.

Loosely held by the insulating-block t are conducting-posts 10. These posts are formed to provide an electrical path from top to bottom of the block, and are located so as to connect different sets of brushes and plates as the block is revolved. I11 the switch illustrated there are two of these connecting-posts or movable contacts held by the block, and in Figs. 1 to 7 these posts are shown arranged a distance apart equal to the distance between each brush or the distance between each plate, so that two adjacent sets will always be connected by these movable contacts or posts. In Fig. 8 these posts are shown as located diametrically opposite each other, so that the opposite sets of plates and brushes will be connected at the same time.

To the binding-post of one of the plates 7 is connected the Wire T, that may lead from the source of electrical supply, and to the binding-posts of two of the other plates are attached the wires h that lead to the heaters II II and then to the ground G. In each of the circuits h h there may be any desired number of heaters, and the heaters of the different circuits are preferably of different capacity. I11 the views a single heater II is shown connected with the wire 72, and a single heater H of a larger size is shown connected with the wire h, but these may represent combinations of heaters.

IVhen the handle of the switch is turned so as to revolve the insulated connecting-posts or movable contacts to the position shown in Fig. 4, these posts stand as shown by the dotted lines connecting the sets of contacts and brushes a and I) only, the sets 0 and (1 being disconnected. hen the posts are in this position, the switch is off, as there is no path for current through the switch from the wire T, for the plate at d is not connected with the brush at (1 nor is the brush at 0 connected with the plate at c.

lVhen the handle of the switch is turned to move the posts to the next position, that shown in Fig. 5, the plates and brushes at (Z and a are connected so that current from the wire T may pass through the plates and brushes (Z and a to the plate at Z), and thence through the heater 1 to the ground. There being new no connection between the plate and brush at e, no current can pass through the heater 2. hen the current passes in this direction through the heater 1, the first degree of heat is obtained.

\Vhen the handle is again turned and the posts are moved forward, they occupy the position shown in Fig. 6, in which case they connect the brushes and plates at d and c. \Vhen these brushes and plates are connected, current will pass from the wire T through the brushes and plate 0 and (Z to the heater 2 and thence to the ground. As the plates and brushes at a and Z) are not connected current cannot pass through the heater 1. The heater or group of heaters 2 has larger capacity than the heater or group of heaters 1, so this. gives a second degree of heat.

lVhen the handle is turned to move the block to the next position, as shown in Fig. 7, the posts join the plates and brushes t and c. lVhen these plates and brushes are joined, current from the wire T can pass through the plate and brush at c to the heater 2 and also gthrough the plate and brush at (1 to the heater j 1, so that the heaters l and 2 will be in parallel, and a third degree of heat is obtained. The different positions of the switch may be indicated by placing lettering or figures upon hubs 11, connected with the commutator-block or bylettering a disk, which may be connected so as to rotate with the block or spindle.

IVhen the posts or movable contacts are placed diametrically opposite each other, as in Fig. 8, the mains M from the source of sup ply may be connected with the plates at Z) and d, and the line-wires that run to the apparatus may be connected with the plates at c and a. \Vhen the posts join the contacts at b and (Z, current from M will pass through the plate and brush at b to the plate 0 and thence out through the line L, and currrent from the main M will pass through the plate and brush at (Z to the plate at a and out through the line L. \Vhen the block is rotated so that the posts connect the plates and brushes at 0. and 0, current from the line M will pass through the plate at b to the brush and plate at u. and out through the line L, and current from the main M will pass through the plate (Z to the brush and plate at c and out through the line L. I11 this manner a four-way switch is provided. If there are but three wires connected, for instance L, L, and M, a three-way switch. is provided without changing the construction.

The switch is simple, cheap, and cilicient. It has a very desirable quick opening and closing movement and a large number of places of disruption of the current. At each movement there are four diiiferent places oi QDIOZIIC, which will divide up the current so as il O prevent arcin A switch constructed in this manner is very safe for use in connection wit-h the currents employed in car-lines and is particularly desirable for cutting in and out the different circuits arranged in cars, so that different degrees of heat may be obtained by simply turning the handle of the switch from one position to another, which positions are readilyindicated on the switch, as above set forth.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an electric switch, in combination, a base with a plural number of sets of stationary contacts, one of each of the sets of contacts being electrically connected with one of the sets next in advance, a handle-spindle supported by the base and adapted to be given an intermittent rotation, and a plural 11 umber of insulated conducting-contacts c011- nected with and moved by the turning of the spindle and adapted to connect certain different sets of stationary contacts at each movement of the spindle, substantially as specified.

2. In an electric switch, in combination, a base with a plural number of contact-plates and brushes arranged in sets, the contactplate of each set being electrically connected with the brush of the set next in advance, a handle-spindle supported by the base and adapted to be given an intermittent rotation, and a plural number of conducting-posts connected with and moved by the turning of the spindle and adapted to connect certain different sets of plates and brnshes'at each movement of the spindle, substantially as specified.

3. In an electric switch, in combination, a base with a plural number of contact-plates and brushes arranged in sets, the contactplate of each set being electrically connected with the brush of the set next in advance, a handle-spindle supported by the base and adapted to be given an intermittent rotation, and a pair of conducting-posts located a dis tance apart equal to the distance between each set of plates and brushes and connected with and moved by the turning of the handlespindle so as to connect the sets of brushes and contacts in pairs successively as the posts are revolved about the spindle, substantially as specified.

WILLIAM H. POIVELL. lVitnesses:

H. R, WILLIAMs, O. E. BUCKLAND. 

